Taste That Your Lips Allow
by stormiscomingin
Summary: Beca has been in remission for six months and is now attending Barden University to see what it's like in the real world. With her step-sister Aubrey's help and some new friends, is she capable of surviving out there? Will she find more than just success?
1. When You're Ready

Beca had snuck into campus in the middle of the night after having told her family she'd arrive tomorrow. She had no desire to have them make a fuss around her or treat her like the delicate snow flake that she was. She was in remission and had been for six months but she'd finally beat her disease. Thankfully when she finally ambled her way up to her dorm it was empty. Boxes had arrived but there was no inhabitant. She set her bags down and only unpacked her linen; her body was too weak to do more than that.

Chemotherapy destroyed your body and it took months if not years to regain your strength and stamina. Beca tried to exercise as much as she was able and eat within the healthy diet guide line but it was still taking forever, she wasn't even able to be prescribed steroids in case it accelerated the growth of an abnormal cell that had gone unnoticed.

The brunette sighed as she slipped in between the sheets and placed her headphones on her head. She'd become so attached to music while she was ill, making mash-up after mash-up to fill the time in which she was stuck in bed. Her hard drive was full of her music, her playlists and a back-up iTunes library. She felt naked without that hard drive within two meters of her. It only took a few minutes before the music put her to sleep, something she'd definitely be grateful for in the morning.

-

Chloe sat on a chair at their stall, watching tiredly as Aubrey bashed people who passed about joining their acapella group. The blonde had been panicked about members since her embarrassment at the last competition. So far they had the two of them and two definite auditions. Hopefully more people would turn up to the auditions or else they wouldn't be able to compete this year and the idea of Aubrey without a creative outlet genuinely scared the tanner girl.

"Oh my god," the blonde spoke before throwing the flyer bundle on the desk and running up to a ridiculously skinny brunette. Chloe watched as the two interacted, Aubrey was particularly affectionate towards the other woman. Eventually the pair of them approached, the brunette pulled along by the arm. "Chloe this is my sister Beca!"

"Hi! I didn't know Aubrey even had a sister!" Chloe laughed before reaching out and awkwardly shaking the woman's hand. The ginger took this opportunity to study the stranger in more detail, soaking up every little thing she could before reminding herself to breathe. She had an unusual fixation on things like that when she found someone attractive. Beca didn't look anything like Aubrey whatsoever, even their bone structure didn't hold any real similarities.

"Hi. Well, we've only been sisters for a year now. Our parents recently got married," the brunette explained before nervously scratching the back of her head. Chloe nodded, that made more sense. She was intrigued, wanting to know more. Maybe it'd be less creepy if she just talked to Aubrey later about her hidden away step-sister who was ridiculously attractive, wait, what?

"So, I know Dad told you to take it slow but do you want to audition?" the blonde asked with excitement before handing her step-sister a flyer. The brunette took a moment to read the sheet before placing it on the desk, her eyes catching Chloe's and linger for a moment, causing both women's breath to hitch.

"I dunno, is it just you running this circus because I saw the wedding and I don't think I could cope with that again. I mean, you nearly blew a blood vessel when the stepmonster spilt wine on her dress," Beca joked. Aubrey's jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed, causing the brunette to recoil a tad for fear of being slapped. "Jesus, chill".

"No, Chloe helps me run the Bella's," the blonde responded flatly.

"I might swing by then. Catch you later Hannah Montana, pleasure to meet you Red," Beca replied. Her eyes lingering once more on the ginger haired woman before she walked off. Chloe swallowed nervously before looking up at Aubrey who was literally seething with rage.

"Why does she call you that?" Chloe asked quietly.

"Because she used to see it as I was living a double life whenever I came back to Barden. This is her first semester here. She's our age, just starting a year late," Aubrey replied dismissively. She'd calmed herself in nearly that one sentence. The ginger eyed her friend with curiosity, the blonde was not one to forgive and forget easily. There has to be more to this brunette than everyone's letting on.

-

Beca walked away with a nervous smile, feeling the ginger's eyes on her as she left. She'd been meaning to visit Aubrey on campus but she had just never had the time or strength to make the journey. She was excited to be here though and headed back to her room to unpack her things. She'd want the place to be presentable if her step-sister was going to be ducking in to check on her.

When she unlocked her door she came face to face with a small oriental looking girl who looked rather unimpressed. The brunette rushed forward, desperately wanting to make a good impression on her roommate.

"Hi, I'm Beca Mitchell. I suppose we will be sharing a room for a while. What's your name?" she asked with as much enthusiasm as she could muster in the moment. The woman just stared at her and turned back to her computer without saying a word. "Do you speak English?" she tried again with no response. "Well I'll try to stay out of your hair".

"My name is Kimmy Jin and I'm from Korea. Just make sure you're quiet and respectful and we won't have a problem," the smaller girl responded in a dull monotone. Beca nodded with a tight lipped smile before beginning her intended task. Soon all of her equipment was set up and the room looked a little homey. Kimmy Jin disappeared a little later, something about going to meet her brother's new boyfriend.

Kimmy wasn't home by eleven so Beca seized the opportunity to take a quick shower, gathering her shower supplies and heading down wrapped in her bathrobe. When she entered the room it was silent, there was no water going and she gently hummed a tune from her latest mix. As the shower warmed she quietly began to sing, allowing the warm water to wash over her body. She rubbed her scar out of habit as she sang.

"Oh my god you can sing!" a high pitched voice screamed. Beca turned quickly in the shower, reaching for the curtain and pulling it close as she slipped. Her eyes widened as she was met with a very naked Chloe. "How high does your belt go?" the woman asked curiously.

-

Chloe stood across from the brunette in amazement, her voice was truly mesmerizing. The paler woman stood nervously with her shower curtain wrapped around her and confusion flooded into her eyes as she recognised the other woman. With a sharp metallic ping the curtain fell and slipped out of Beca's grip who just stood, unsure of what to do next.

"Dude, seriously? I'm naked!" the brunette screamed at her as she struggled to cover herself. Chloe was noticing, she couldn't help but let her gaze wander down the other woman's body. She was so tiny that the ginger could probably fit two of her in her arms. "Are you done yet?" the brunette replied, gaining the tanned woman's attention.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just pretty confident with this stuff," Chloe admitted, now it was Beca's turn to look. "You're really gorgeous. You have nothing to be ashamed of," the woman blurted out. Beca blushed a bright pink, bringing a smile to the ginger's lips. Chloe had almost completely forgotten about the Bella's or why she was even standing here in the first place, all she could feel was the hunger inside her that was craving the brunette before her.

"Well um, thanks. You're rather fine yourself," the skinny girl replied with a nervous chuckle.

Chloe moved closer to the other woman until their bodies were centimetres apart, the brunette took one more look before breathing out, her eyes filled with lust just like the gingers. They both wanted to reach out and take more but there was that line in the sand they were both afraid to cross. Chloe fought with herself over what to do, watching carefully as Beca did the same. Instead she leant forward, pressing their bodies together and causing a noise of satisfaction to escape from both their lips.

"Let me know when you're ready," Chloe whispered before placing a delicate kiss behind the brunette's ear and walking away.


	2. Hide Your Toner!

Author's Note: As I received a review about the fact that I had incorrectly guessed Kimmy Jin's nationality the first chapter has been altered and she is now Korean, not Thai. I didn't even think to research it so I just took a jab. Thanks for all the reviews :)

+++++

Beca watched as the ginger walked away, paying special attention to the long thin scar that ran down the woman's back. She looked around, suddenly painfully aware of the lack of shower curtain and moved stalls. After half an hour she returned to her still empty dorm and let out a sigh of relief. She dropped her shower supplies into the bottom drawer before quickly pulling on underwear, boxers and a singlet. Fatigue hit her like a wave and left her with only one option, bed.

-

The next day Chloe bounced around Aubrey like an excited kid as they ran, she was excited because last night Beca hadn't away but now she had to explain the situation to her blonde friend who was sure to hit at least three panic buttons. Maybe she'd wait until after breakfast, that way the blonde would have nothing to throw at her. They lined up at the campus cafe and placed their orders before taking a seat at a nice wood table outside. The breeze helped the pair of them too cool from their exercise.

"So, got your eye on anyone?" Chloe asked casually.

"There's this guy in Teaching Theory who is really nice. His name's Todd," Aubrey replied absently as she played with a straw she'd pulled out of the dispenser. Something was wrong; the Bella was never distracted and frequently spoke about the importance of keeping focus on your goals. Chloe frowned before looking back up at her friend. "Stop staring. I'm fine, just got a lot on my mind."

"Talk to me then," said Chloe.

The blonde sighed, "I just worry about Beca is all. This is a really big adjustment for her".

"And she'll adjust fine just like the rest of us did. As long as she remains focused and takes care of herself then she'll be alright. Since when did you start caring so much about her adjustment?" the ginger laughed nervously. There was definitely something going on here that Aubrey wasn't saying but Chloe decided to give her time.

Aubrey shrugged off the question as their food arrived. They ate mostly in silence, eager to return to their exercise. Chloe thought about the wording of what she had to say over and over again. Beca had only been on campus one day but Chloe felt so drawn to the woman.

"What about you? Anyone there?" Aubrey asked as she sipped her water.

Chloe swallowed. Now or never.

"Well I sort of have a thing for this girl but I guess I just need to see where it goes," the ginger replied with a flash of a smile. She would see where this was going before she told Aubrey, no sense in getting her all worked up over nothing.

-

Beca attended her first set of classes that day, social science, ethics and philosophy. There were interesting but the brunette struggled to stay focused on them as a monster headache set in. She went back to her dorm and laid down, taking two Advil before she did. Staring up at the white expanse of the ceiling, she thought about her encounter with Chloe. She wanted to get to know the woman but there were so many things standing in the way.

She didn't want to lead Chloe on, especially since telling people she was in remission tended to scare them right off but she still wanted something. She still felt that pull of attraction that hadn't existed in her life before. The more important question was, did she want to try and be a part of this acapella thing with Aubrey and her?

When Beca woke up it was to her phone vibrating beside her.

"What?" the brunette answered groggily.

"Get your ass to this audition or I will drag you kicking and screaming," Aubrey retaliated before hanging up and quickly texting Beca the details. The brunette sighed before brushing her hair and heading down to the hall. Her body protested with aches and pains but she pushed on anyway, watching from the side stage as other people auditioned.

She had no chance with this sort of competition. The only person she could possibly beat out was the guy whose voice cracked halfway through and maybe the girl who cried. She watched as the last person finished and her eyes met Chloe's whose mouth formed a bright smile.

"Wait there's one more!" Chloe called out before urging for Beca to come out. The brunette sighed before walking into the spotlight, her hands shaking as she stood before them. She felt so small as everyone's eyes fell upon her.

"I didn't know we had to prepare that song," she told them.

"That's okay just sing anything," Chloe encouraged. Beca leant forward, asking silent permission to steal Aubrey's pencil holder. Her step sister nodded with a polite smile. Beca played with the cup for a moment, ensuring it was deep enough for it's perfect.

She took a deep breath before starting to drum on the cup. She sung the song Cups that she'd seen on Reddit once before. When she finished she looked up at Aubrey who just nodded reassuringly with Red smiling brightly beside her. Beca gave a nervous smile before escorting herself off stage.

-

"That was amazing. We could really use her," Chloe told Aubrey as they looked down at their board of applicants. She was hoping that the blonde wouldn't fight her on this because Beca was her step-sister and she was the one who encouraged her to audition in the first place. Aubrey just nodded in silence.

"She's in, you know that. Please hide your toner," Aubrey told her friend without so much as batting an eyelid. Chloe's entire body stiffened and for a moment she wasn't sure if she was having a heart attack or was just suffering from fear paralysis. Aubrey knew. How did Aubrey know? Did Beca say something? "Breathe before you suffocate please. I don't want to be touching your mouth with my mouth in case you've already had contact with Wednesday Adams' mouth," the blonde woman quipped.

The idea brought a smile to Chloe's lips, what a wonderful idea.

-

After aca-initiation the entire group was lead to the amphitheatre when all the other groups were gathered and music was blasting from the speakers on the stage. A dance floor had already formed and the other girls wasted no time in running down the stairs to join in. Beer flowed freely from the kegs and red cups could be seen in the hands of most members. Beca herself wasn't a fan of alcohol, it made her tired and that was something her body needed no assistance with.

"BECA! BECAWR!" a brunette boy screamed as he approached, standing on the backs of the benches until he dropped before the girl with a beaming, drunken smile on his face. "You don't know me but I'm Jesse! We're interning together! Luke told me to scope you out! So hi! Wow you're pretty," he rambled. Beca rolled her eyes before walking away from the boy. She had no desire to become some boy's obsession.

"Hey!" Chloe screamed as she ran up to the brunette, red solo cup in hand.

"Hi," Beca replied with enthusiasm as the woman finished her approach, their faces mere centimetres apart.

"I'm so glad I met you! I think we're gonna be really fast friends," Chloe said as she edge closer, their noses brushing. Beca took a shallow breath, her hands shaking at the idea of kissing the ginger. She smiled as the tanner woman rubbed their noses together.

"Well you saw me naked so," Beca replied with a playful wink. Chloe arched her left eyebrow and gave a cocky smile. "What?"

"And I hope to see you in that state again soon," Chloe said with a wink. Beca took her chance. She moved forward, placing her hand on the nape of the ginger's neck and pulling her in for a kiss. Neither of them pulled away; their lips moving slowly, cherishing the moment. When they parted, the remained close and the hearts were almost visible in Chloe's ocean blue eyes. "Wow you're a good kisser, kiss me again! Wait! Soon! This ginger needs her jiggle juice!"

And with that the copper haired woman disappeared into the crowd, leaving Beca alone to decide what her next move would be. Now that she had felt Chloe's lips upon hers it was all she wanted and with that thought she was off.

"Red! Wait!"


	3. Battered and Bruised

The brunette chased the ginger girl through the crowd, feeling pain to her shoulders and ribs as the drunk and careless bumped into her. She was almost guaranteed to have bruises tomorrow but she didn't mind, she was more concerned about finding Chloe. She breathed in heavily as she moved into the thick of it before finally bumping into Chloe. Her eyes were filled with lust as she moved closer to Beca. Snoop Dog and David Guetta's "I Just Want To Make You Sweat" played over the speakers and as the brunette looked around, she might as well have been at a strip club.

Everybody was packed together tight, students had evacuated their dorms and now the campus was in full swing. Chloe's hands met Beca's waist as the woman danced up against her. There was something awfully seductive about the movement of their hips pressed together, Beca reached out and pulled Chloe in for a quick kiss before moving her grip down the woman's body and playfully grabbing her ass.

"Nice to see you've decided to play," Chloe shouted over the crowd. Beca smiled and winked at her. They danced through the night, Chloe drinking more than her fair share while Beca stuck to water and juice. The pair of them stumbled back to Chloe's dorm as Beca acted as the ginger's crutch.

After finally opening the door to an empty room and dumping a half-asleep Chloe onto the bed, Beca was forced to grab the desk tightly as a wave of exhaustion hit her, sending her eyesight spotty. Her head swam for a moment as she drew in deep breaths to even herself out, catching the other Bella's attention.

"Are you okay Beca?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah just a bit dizzy. I'll see you tomorrow," Beca replied before turning for the doorway. The ginger caught her hand as she walked away, causing the brunette to turn in confusion. Chloe's eyes were wide and aware of the other girl, concern flooded them as they stared at each other.

"Stay with me?" The ginger woman asked in a quiet voice.

"Okay," Beca nodded before stripping down to her underwear and laying beside the Bella on the bed. There was silence for a few moments as they adjusted to the feel of another body beside them, occasionally glancing at each other to make sure they were still awake. "Wow you're warm," Beca mumbled as their skin briefly touched.

"And you're freezing cold! Come here before you catch your death!" Chloe said before pulling the smaller woman closer to her, wrapping her arms around the brunette in a tight embrace. Beca blushed slightly at the sudden development. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in somebody else's embrace.

Chloe smiled as the brunette rested her head on her chest and could help but blush when she felt her heartbeat flutter right beside Beca's ear. The woman seemed so small and frail for a twenty year old. As they rested close to each other the ginger could feel the brunette's ribs poking through her skin. Even in her drunken state Chloe's concern for her friend grew. She'd bring it up with the girl in the morning, for now she just wanted to enjoy her company.

When Beca awoke in the morning she felt as though someone had hit her with a bus. She carefully got out of bed without awaking Chloe and evaluated the damage in the standing mirror beside Aubrey's bed. Bruises varying from yellow to blue covered the woman's back and ribs, a reminder of her body's still frail state.

"You look like you've gone twelve rounds," Chloe spoke from behind with a concerned tone.

"I'll be fine. I just bruise very easily," the brunette brushed off before returning to bed and diving under the blankets. Barden was definitely not the warmest place on earth. The ginger ran her hands over the other girls ribs carefully, feeling her fingers dip in between the grooves. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just concerned," Chloe replied with a forced smile. "Beca you know I think you're beautiful the way you are right? You don't have to do anything drastic to retain an appearance though. Those that matter don't care what body size you are".

Beca sighed, the ginger had gotten it all wrong but she appreciated the concern.

"I'm not starving myself if that's what you're worried about. This is just the way I am," the DJ shrugged. She didn't know how to even approach Chloe about her illness. The ginger girl seemed understanding but it was a lot to take in and she was afraid that she might run the other way when she realized just how fragile and incomplete Beca really was. The Bella was staring at her, trying to word something in her head. Every time she did that there was a little flicker of movement in her eyebrows.

"But it's not. I'm not saying you have to tell me right now but soon okay?" Chloe replied. Beca nodded in response before leaning forward and kissing the tanner woman. Their lips moved passionately yet slowly, every movement savoured. When they broke away they just laid together,  
breathing in each other in the dimly lit room.

-

Thanks to the timing of the aca-initiation neither of them had to rush off for class however Beca eventually ended up having to leave to go to the station for her shift. The ginger gave her a farewell kiss and wished her a good day before watching her well shaped ass walk away. When the brunette arrived there were two people in the booth, Luke the station manager and the drunken boy from the night before who was burying himself in a kebab.

"Hey Luke," the girl greeted as she entered the room; completely ignoring the other boy's presence. Whoever he was, the boy was in desperate need of a shower and a change of clothes as she noticed the stench coming from him. "Please tell me this human garbage dump is leaving soon," the brunette sighed before taking her seat next to the manager.

"Yes the nauseous and annoying Jesse boy is going," Luke replied. Irritation was clear in his voice.

"Guys, I'm right here," Jesse replied defensively.

"We know," the two DJ's replied in synchronisation, causing the other boy to get up and leave immediately, slamming the door behind him. Luke and Beca took one look at each other and shrugged before returning to the object of their attention. Overnight one of Beca's remixes had gone off after being played over the campus party speakers. Over four thousand people had paid to download it.

"Fuck," Beca muttered under her breath.

"Yeah," Luke replied in awe before hitting the desk with an open hand. "Let's go, I'm going to buy you a coffee," the man replied before selecting a playlist and ushering her out the door. When Beca had taken the internship at the station she had to inform Luke of her illness because it made her unable to do some things. He had been very kind and understanding about it, going out of his way to make sure she was comfortable and happy working there.

"You know what that means though," Beca replied. Luke looked back at her with a quizzical frown. "Well we had a deal right, you get half and I get half. It is your station after all". She replied as they left the building and locked the door behind them. Luke's eyes grew wide as he remembered. At one dollar person song, that meant two thousand dollars each. He reached forward and pulled Beca into a gentle hug.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," Luke whispered before letting her go.

"Sure I do. Now you can relax a little bit with working ridiculous hours and stop matching me on being rude to the annoying boy," the brunette replied before rubbing her eyes. She hadn't slept well the night before. She ignored her friend's worried gaze and kept walking. She refused to be treated like the delicate flower that she was.

"But seriously, thank you Beca," the blonde boy said sincerely with a small smile.

"You don't need to thank me. If it wasn't for you this wouldn't have happened. At least now you might get to see Mr. Andrew Jin a bit more often," Beca laughed. Luke was dating Kimmy's brother so when they came to visit Kimmy, Beca and Luke got to hang out too.

-

Chloe couldn't drop it. She couldn't watch someone suffer in silence, the bruises that marred the musicians beautiful skin was enough to worry her. Even as Aubrey spoke to her at the campus bar she kept zoning out from the conversations. The two step-sisters were even more alike than they would never know.

"What's worrying you?" Aubrey cut through the bubble between Chloe and reality.

"Nothing, well; not nothing. Have you ever noticed how thin Beca is? She's just so skinny and frail. She had bruises all over her from pushing through the crowd last night," Chloe admitted, watching as a brief moment of concern flickered across the blonde's face before fading away. "I know that you know Aubrey, just tell me!" the ginger continued. Her voice broke towards the end of her sentence. She was scared and it definitely registered with Aubrey who just looked down at her phone.

"It's not my place to tell you. I'm sorry," Aubrey replied in a solemn voice before looking away and avoiding eye contact with the Bella. This was between Chloe and Beca, there wasn't enough chunk munky ice-cream in the world to make her get in the middle of that.


	4. Relapse

Beca walked into the hospital nervously, her hands shaking as she followed the familiar path to Dr. Schneider's office. She'd snuck off campus a few days before for her scans to make sure that the cancerous cells were still absent from her body but today she would find out for sure. Her father and Aubrey had cleared their schedules for the day so that they could accompany her but she'd asked them to wait in the foyer. She'd rather break this to them herself if the results were bad.

With a deep breath she knocked on the door.

"Come in," a tired voice called from inside.

She twisted the handle and gave a small wave before taking her seat across from the physician. Dr. Schneider's hair was thinning to the point where he had to choose between a bad comb-over or a full shave, his glasses were small and gold rimmed giving him that creepy beady eyed appearance. There was very little that was comforting about the man who had obviously dedicated himself to his career. Beca remembered him telling her before that he'd been recently divorced when she noticed the missing ring.

"Hello Beca, how are you feeling?" the man asked as he shook her hand from across the desk.

"Good. I'm really enjoying university but it's very exhausting," the brunette sighed.

"I can imagine it would be. Have you been taking your vitamins?" he asked. Beca nodded.

"Every day. I even started to do some running," she replied with a smile.

"That's good. Let's get down to business shall we. The scans performed by Dr. Taylor showed that you have abnormal cells growing in the left ovary and that unfortunately your cancer has returned," the doctor spoke bluntly.

All the air rushed from Beca's lungs as she took in the man's words. She had beaten this. She'd done everything they'd told her by the book; she'd been fine, tired but fine. How could this happen to her again?

"Oh," she breathed.

"I know. There was a 20% chance of return after your chemotherapy. I know that this must be a lot to take in, especially after the surgery to remove the right ovary. I'm sorry Beca but we have to get you started in chemo straight away," the doctor spoke frankly. Inside her head the brunette's world was crashing down around her. She'd finally found a place in the real world and now she was going to be torn away from it before she accomplished anything. She wiped away the tears from her eyes quickly, taking a tissue and blowing her nose.

"So more chemo and if that doesn't work then surgery right," she replied with a cracked voice.

Dr. Schneider nodded. "Yes. I can have a plan set in place to correspond with your class timetable if you still wish to attend university but as you know your body is going to be under a lot of strain. It's up to you though. This is entirely your decision". The musician fished through her bag before producing her timetable for the man. She wanted to feel normal, or at least try for as long as she could. "Well, I'll set those appointments up for you and have them emailed out to you. As you know, you'll have to start seeing a counsellor again. Did you want to return to Dr. Porter?"

"Yes please," Beca replied. The man tapped away at his keyboard, making notes of the decisions and things he had to do. "Was there anything else we needed to discuss?" the brunette spoke.

"I know this is hard Beca, having to come back and do this all again. We're going to take good care of you," the man replied in a semi-comforting way. The brunette nodded. "So I'll email you that timetable and see you in about six weeks".

The Bella left the office, her heart heavy and her eyes burning with tears that refused to fall. She moved on auto-pilot through the corridors as she structured her sentences, planning on how to tell her family. She could picture their faces, heartbroken all over again. Her father had lost his wife to this and now he had to watch his daughter suffer all over again. She was grateful for the Posen women; at least he'd have someone to turn to if things didn't... go according to plan.

-

Chloe sat in her politics class but her mind wasn't really there. The Mitchell-Posen family had been called away from campus on some form of family emergency on which both Beca and Aubrey had failed to mention any details. Worry had lived in the ginger girl's heart since their departure and concern was clouding her mind. She worried about Beca non-stop since her little talk with Aubrey. The blonde woman rarely failed to fill Chloe in on anything but this seemed serious.

"Ms. Beale do you feel that employers should be able to view the medical history of job applicants?" the professor called from the front, snapping the tanned woman from her thoughts.

"No sir. Medical struggles are private and just because someone has or does suffer from an illness doesn't mean that they are incapable of performing a job better than a healthier candidate. If anything an unwell person would push themselves harder to perform at an adequate level," the student replied. She firmly believed in her words, remembering how stressed her father had been about losing his job when he was diagnosed with a heart problem. Thankfully it was something that was easily fixed. The woman quickly typed out a text message and sent it to both the women.

[ChloeBeale] 1:30pm: Hey, is everything okay?

The message went unanswered.

-

Beca hadn't told them the results, instead insisting they went home to see Angela as well. She'd tell them as a family; at least that way they could comfort each other accordingly. As they pulled up to the Mitchell residence Beca started to panic. Telling them meant that all of this would be real and then there was no escaping the harsh reality of her future. Suddenly legs were walking, doors were closing and coffee was being set down in front of all of them. The brunette anxiously started picking at the threads of her jacket sleeve.

"So what did the doctor say?" Angela asked. The musician looked up, Aubrey might as well have been a clone of her mother.

"The scans... it's back," Beca blurted out. All of their faces dropped in that instant, grief and painful memories crossed her father's face. It broke Beca's heart to see them like this. Aubrey looked down to hide her face but her mother let her tears show openly. What was Beca supposed to say or do? How was she supposed to break that news gently?

"What are the doctor's going to do?" he father asked, his voice breaking through the words.

"Chemotherapy and if that doesn't work then surgery again," the brunette spoke evenly.

She would be hysteric later, right now her family needed to be brave.

"We'll help you move your things back here tomorrow and take you to all your appointments," Angela replied.

"No. I'm staying at Barden, as long as I can anyway. I just, I want to feel normal a little longer," Beca replied. Aubrey met the brunette's eyes, her own filled with determination and concern for her step-sister.

"I'll take her to and from appointments. I'll adjust my timetable to match hers," the blonde declared. Their parents nodded. They didn't understand the woman's determination to remain at the university and fight her illness, knowing it was better for her to get all the rest possible but they'd support her decision anyway.

After a long conversation about how Beca was going to handle her timetables and how she was coping with the horrible news they finally drove back to Barden together. The drive was wordless but Beca could practically hear the cogs turning in her family's heads. This would make or break her father. After getting let out at Aubrey's dorm the musician walked back to her own alone, her bag full of information sheets and guidelines regarding the new medication she'd been placed on. She was determine to get upstairs, make a few mixes and go to bed until she spotted Chloe sitting on the buildings stairs. Her face was streaked with black from mascara tainted tears, the ginger looking up as Beca approached.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried and scared I've been?" the woman yelled. Beca nodded and took the woman's hands in her own, breathing out to calm herself and even her voice. She didn't want the woman to be any more scared than she already was.

"We need to talk".


	5. For Better Or Worse

Beca stared straight ahead at Chloe as they sat on her bed in silence; the brunette was struggling to find the right words. The ginger was obviously upset with her already but somehow revealing it to her felt so different than telling her family. Chloe's eyes were already wrapped in tears; evidence of their existence marked her skin. It her Beca to know that she had been the cause of them but how was she supposed to tell her?

"I'm sorry that I haven't been entirely honest with you. There are just some things that I find are easier not to tell people. It's nothing against you; it's just an insecurity that I have. I worry that people will walk away or treat me like I'm made of glass. It's just infuriating," Beca spoke slowly, struggling to articulate her sentences.

"Just tell me. How bad can it be? It's not like you're gonna die," the ginger replied. Their eyes met and Chloe's mouth dropped, tears rushing down her face as her head shook. "No, no. You can't. How?" she cried. The tanned woman broke down, tears streaming down her face and strangled sobs breaking from her body. She collapsed into Beca, the brunette catching her and holding her as she cried. Guilt spread through the musician's chest as she realized just how much pain she'd caused by keeping this a secret. She waited until Chloe had calmed down before speaking again.

"I have ovarian cancer, again. I'm sorry for not telling you," the brunette spoke in a calm and even tone. She placed her hand in Chloe's and squeezed, reminding the woman that she was still there and still kicking, it was something people often forgot. She'd never forget telling her principal in her senior year just before her exams and how he instantly started speaking in past tense about her. It was as though she was already gone. "It's okay though because there are treatments and we've caught it relatively early".

"How long? How long did you know and what do you mean again?" the ginger choked out, distress was clear in her voice. Beca took a moment to collect herself; drawing in a deep breath.

"I had it the first time at the end of my senior year, that's why I had a gap year when everyone else didn't. I had extreme chemotherapy which made me very, very sick and still does to this day because my body hasn't entirely recovered. It didn't work as well as the doctors hoped so I had surgery and they removed my right ovary," the brunette spoke. She felt overwhelmed by the extent of it all. The reality of it was finally setting in and now she was scared and painfully aware of the future she might not have.

"When did you find out?" Chloe whispered.

"Today," Beca replied. Chloe nodded, letting everything sink in as she sat there. The ginger probably didn't notice but she was rocking back and forth which Dr. Porter had told the brunette was a coping mechanism when things got a little too much. It was a way of pacing yourself and your thoughts.

"I'm sorry for pushing you to talk about this. It's absolutely none of my business but I'm here for you if you need me to be," Chloe replied. She'd cut herself off from her feelings, the look of detachment lingering in her eyes.

"It's completely your business, you're... you're special to me Chloe but I'm so scared and I can't make someone else feel like this because I can't ruin someone. I won't ruin you," Beca cried. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to explain her feelings. "I really care about you and I'm letting you walk away because I'm scared something will go wrong," the musician spoke. Her voice was breaking in a thousand different ways as she tried to find the right words.

Chloe squeezed the brunette's hand reassuringly, drawing Beca's eyes to her own.

"I want to be here. I would leave if I didn't. I just, you need to let me in and tell me these things okay? I'm not a mind reader, if I was I definitely would've seen this coming. I'm not saying it's something I'm going to be 100% okay with coping with but I'm here for you. I want to be with you and take care of you throughout this," the ginger replied. Her tone was different, stronger and determined.

Beca was shocked by Chloe. She didn't know whether to envelope her in a tight embrace or back away from her and run as far away as possible. She didn't want this illness to infect this woman that she'd grown to care for so much in such a short span of time. Who knew the kind of attachment they'd form if they spent more time together. It was an idea that truly terrified the brunette.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Chloe spoke. Beca nodded with a small smile. "I'm in this Beca. For better or worse".

The brunette pulled Chloe into a tight hug, when they separated the ginger's lips crashed upon her won. They poured everything into the kiss, all the things they couldn't bear to say aloud or didn't know how to articulate. Every emotions, every fear, every hope for the future was put into that kiss. They hesitantly parted for a moment, their eyes meeting each other.

"Wow," Beca whispered.

"Yeah," Chloe breathed.

-

Aubrey had watched as Chloe and her step-sister went into the dorm, concern had flooded her mind but after taking a few deep breaths she decided that it was for the best that they talk. She hated keeping her room-mate in the dark about Beca's condition. When she thought about it, Chloe was probably the person best equipped out of all of Beca's friends and family to help the brunette through her struggle.

She turned around and headed to the studio to see Luke who had been nothing but supportive and understanding when it came to her sibling's illness. She would tell him about the latest development because she needed someone to vent to and that was who they were for each other. Luke talked to her about Andrew and his parents, then Aubrey talked about Beca and how scared she'd been when the brunette was sick.

She pushed the studio door open to see Luke arguing with a tanned brunette boy. Aubrey instantly identified him as one of the Treblemakers. Joe, John... Jesse! The two boys exchanged words, ultimately ending with Jesse throwing a CD at the ground before storming off and pushing past her.

"Have some respect the lady you ignorant sod!" Luke called out before bending down to pick up the shards of the disc. "Sorry about that Aubrey. You know what these Treblemakers are like, nothing but dicks," he declared.

"It's okay. It's not your fault the boy has no manners," she replied with a polite smile.

"So how are you? Anything I can help you with?" the boy asked with a smile.

"It's about Beca actually," she replied. The DJ's face instantly grew grim, as if he'd been waiting on the news. Aubrey remembered Beca mentioning that she had to swap a shift, the brunette would've definitely told Luke why.

"What is it?" he spoke, his voice wavering.

"It's not good. It's back".


	6. Moments of Simplicity

"So what are we?" Beca asked as the girls lay side by side on the bed in their underwear. Chloe had stayed the night after they'd discussed the brunette's illness seeing as Kimmy Jin had flown back home to visit her parents after receiving bad news regarding her father's health. There was a lot of that going around lately. She traced her finger down the scar that marred the ginger's spine. It reminded her a lot of her own. Curiosity lingered in the back of her mind.

"You're my girlfriend, aren't you?" Chloe replied as though it was common knowledge.

"Oh yeah. Of course," Beca replied as she attempted to retain her cool. "How'd you get this scar?" There was silence for a few moments before the woman rolled over to face the musician with a polite smile. Her partner deserved to know about her surgery but they had just never had the opportunity to discuss it until now.

"When I was younger I was diagnosed with Scoliosis then when I was fifteen I had posterior fusion surgery done," the ginger replied before taking Beca's hand and pressing her fingers at the base of her spine where you could feel the sides of her spine braces. The brunette pushed down gently before dropping her jaw a little.

"Wow, the musician whispered. "Does it still hurt or?"

"Sometimes when it's cold or if I bend to fast," Chloe replied with a small smile. She'd suffered a lot of a pain at the hands of her disfigurement but it was in the past now and her body had been mended. She was grateful to the doctor's who had fixed her but if she never saw them again it wouldn't be a substantial loss.

"You should've told me sooner. I could've watched out for you or carried bags," the DJ laughed.

"You're the one that needs taking care of. I'm fine," the Bella replied before kissing Beca's nose tenderly. Lips and hands wandered between the pair, taking in every curve as they moved together. It was new and breathtaking. They separated for a moment before Beca placed a delicate kiss on the ginger's soft lips.

"As long as you're around, I will be too".

-

Later that week the couple drove into Atlanta for Beca's first dose of chemotherapy. The ginger had sat beside and held her girlfriend hand as she adjusted to the cold liquid pouring into her veins, a feeling that the brunette had spoken about on the car ride to the hospital. They didn't talk much, Chloe left the decision to talk to Beca but the woman never opened her mouth.

When the IV emptied the doctor's reiterated the importance of keeping up a healthy diet and remembering her medication. The brunette zoned out within the first sentence, grunting and nodding every few moments so that the man with the horribly curvy moustache would stop talking to her like she was an idiot in that condescending tone of his.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked as they got into the car, noticing that her girlfriend looked a few shades whiter than pale. Beca nodded and with that they drove off. The ginger sang along to the radio flawlessly while Beca watched out the window with a weak and tired smile. It seemed silly but part of her thought that she could still feel the cold within her veins.

"Pull over," the brunette muttered. The car quickly veered onto the side of the road and the paler woman threw her door open before diving out of the car and onto her knees before throwing up. Chloe was almost immediately behind her, one hand holding Beca's hair back while the other rubbed her back.

"Are you okay? Is everything okay?" Chloe asked.

Beca let out a small chuckle after hearing the question. Nothing about this was okay. She was lying on the side of the road on her hands and knees staring down at the ham sandwich that she'd forced down this morning. She felt anything but okay; however that wasn't what Chloe was asking. The ginger didn't know if this bodily reaction was normal and Beca couldn't blame her, she wasn't exactly experienced in the matter.

"Yeah, my body is just reacting to the drugs. It's sort of; it's sort of like poisoning yourself," the brunette explained. Chloe nodded behind her as she looked over the thinner woman with concern. She'd read up on some of the things that the musician would have to deal with but her mind was vacant in this moment.

"So I've heard," Chloe answered as she watched Beca get to her feet. The woman's hands were shaking as she climbed back inside the car after wiping her mouth with a tissue from the dashboard. The ginger slowly got back into the driver's side before taking a deep breath and continuing the trip home.

-

Aubrey and her step-father waited outside of Aubrey's dorm, they filled the time waiting for Beca's return with small talk and questions. They were both concerned and it wasn't that their relationship wasn't strong, it's just that for the moment they just wanted to focus on Beca and how to best support her.

"Here she is," Noah spoke as the silver small four wheel drive pulled up carefully and the two women left the vehicle. Aubrey quickly noticed the change in her step-sister's appearance and demeanour; she was pale and hunched over more than usual with a blank expression. She looked as though she'd kissed a Dementor. "How'd it go?" the professor asked.

"Awesome!" Beca replied with a false enthusiasm before heading inside the building without another word. The two Mitchell's looked to Chloe for some insight and the ginger just shook her head before mouthing "not good" and following her partner. With that Aubrey shrugged as she met her step-father's glance and walked up the stairs to her building, the good doctor returning to his office.

-

Beca laid next to her ginger girlfriend on the mattress as Aubrey buzzed around the room, pulling books from her bookshelf and spreading her research across the floor. The visit to the hospital had really taken it out of the small brunette who felt frail even as she lay in her girlfriend's arms. They didn't speak other than for the most basic of replies to Aubrey. Eventually the blonde left, running to handing in her assignment which she'd left a little too late.

Chloe reached for the smaller girls hand and squeezed it gently as she watched her sleep. The other woman snuggled a little bit closer, resting her head and free hand on the ginger's chest. A warmth spread through Chloe like she'd taken a shot of whisky on a cold winter's day. It was nice and refreshing to feel that connection, even if it was from a sleeping Beca.

Chloe took in the other woman, memorising the lines of her face and the fading pink of her lips. She took her time to make sure she didn't miss anything, not a single freckle or birth mark. She delicately traced the curves of her Beca's hips and counted her ribs with her fingers. Thoughts ran through her head about the difficult times they were about to face and a slight panic rippled through her.

She couldn't lose this beautiful angel when she'd only just found her.

She refused to.

After an hour or two Beca awoke beside her girlfriend who was half awake, giving the brunette a sleepy smile and squeezing her hand. In that moment the reality of everything washed over the musician and for once she wasn't scared because she was laying next to this beautiful girl who knew everything and she wasn't going anywhere. She felt safe and that was a good feeling.

"I love you," Beca whispered. A broad smile spread across the tanned woman's face as the words reached her ears.

"I love you too Beca," Chloe replied before leaning forward and placing a delicate kiss on her girlfriend's forehead.

And for once in Beca's life, things were actually that simple.


	7. Beautiful

Chloe watched as Beca left her dorm in her tight black shorts and green Celtics jersey before setting off at a slow jog. The brunette had locked herself in her dorm for the past few days as she caught up on assignments that had gone unchecked. The tanner girl decided she'd wait on the buildings steps for her girlfriend's return, knowing she wouldn't be long. Over the last few days the woman's runs had grown shorter as her body responded to the chemotherapy but the brunette still insisted on at least trying to maintain some exercise and for that Chloe couldn't do anything but admire her determination.

"You're up early," Beca yelled breathlessly as she returned to the dorm after about twenty minutes. Her limbs were covered in sweat, the brunette's skin had become a lot paler in the last few days but neither of them would say anything about it. "Did you miss me?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around the back of her partner's neck.

"I certainly did. Don't you think you should be sleeping instead of taking a run?" Chloe asked with concern as she noticed Beca's bloodshot eyes. The other woman tightened her jaw before nodding and rolling her eyes. "I'm just trying to look out for you babe".

"You can look out for me by joining me in the shower," the brunette joked. Chloe arched her right eyebrow teasingly before smiling and nodding. The two walked hand in hand up to the DJ's room before collecting her clean clothes and shower supplies. A relieved sigh escaped from Beca's lips as the water hit her bare skin, massaging her aching back. She took in the beauty of Chloe's naked form with an appreciative smile. "You're beautiful," the brunette breathed.

"You're quite stunning yourself," Chloe replied as she reached forward. Her finger's moving down the brunette's abdomen before tracing her faint scar. Beca smiled shyly.

"I'm all skin and bones," she joked before looking at the ground. It broke Chloe's heart to know that the other girl didn't see herself the way she did. She moved forward and enveloped her girlfriend in a tight embrace, rubbing her hands up and down the other girls back. Chloe's heart sank as she realized that the other woman probably couldn't even tell she was shaking.

"You're beautiful Beca. No matter what you think, no matter how sick you get, no matter how scrawny; you'll always be gorgeous to me," the ginger whispered. Beca nodded before looking up at her girlfriend, embarrassed that she couldn't be everything that Chloe deserved. "I mean it. I love you".

"I love you too," Beca breathed. The next few moments passed so quickly that later they'd be hazy but it was everything she wanted. Their lips pressed together, desperate to convey the words they could never say. Chloe pressed Beca against the cold tiles, their bodies moving together in an unexpectedly perfect way. The brunette let out a slow gasp as Chloe's tanned thigh ground between her legs. "Please don't stop," she gasped in the woman's ear.

The words brought an eager smile to the ginger's lips, exchanging a leg for a hand she slowly rubbed her fingers through Beca's slit. The smaller woman groaned with pleasure before building up the courage and following her partner's lead, breathing in evenly as she heard her girlfriend pant in her ear. The two women slowed down, taking in each other. Beca studied Chloe's scars with her fingertips while the tanner woman memorised the spectrum of the brunette's moans.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked. "We can wait until later, when you have more energy, when you're better".

The words echoed through Beca's mind and a little voice in the back of her skull whispered; what if you don't get better?

"No, I'm sure. Please don't stop," the brunette replied.

"Okay," the ginger spoke in a hushed tone. They moved together, keeping eye contact as Chloe pressed inside of her lover carefully. Beca moaned quietly as she adapted to the feel of Chloe's fingers, biting her bottom lip as she felt them move within her. The tanned woman watched as pleasure spread a smile over her lover's face, struggling to focus as the musician rubbed her clit before edging her way down to her opening. "It's okay," she breathed into Beca's ear before feeling her push inside.

Chloe's hand gripped her girlfriend's hair as Beca's mouth captured her nipple, drawing a moan from the ginger's mouth which bit down on the brunette's neck moments later. Every touch, every moan became engraved in their minds as they learned each other. The warm water from the shower cascaded down their bodies as they pushed and pulled each other, slowly approaching their climax. Thrusts became more desperate, words became louder and kisses became increasingly urgent.

"I'm so close," Beca cried as she buried her fingers deep within Chloe, clutching tightly to her shoulder as her own knees grew weak.

"Me too," Chloe panted as she raked her nails down the paler girls back and pulling a moan from the brunette that sent her over the top, tightening around the other girls finger's and begging for her not to stop. It only took a few seconds before Beca joined her, grinding against each other, thrusting in unison as they rode out the waves of pleasure. Eventually they slowed, gripping to each other as Chloe placed delicate kisses on her lovers shoulder.

They separated, gently removing themselves from each other before staring for a few moments. Each woman had their marks, a dark hickey on Chloe's neck and a bite mark on Beca's breast but neither of them cared.

After actually showering and wrapping themselves in bathrobes the two women returned to Beca's room where Kimmy Jin and her friends sat on her bed playing their Wii. The couple collected their clothes and phones before returning to the bathrooms to change before heading to Chloe's room. Aubrey took in the sight of the pair of them with a tightened jaw and a death stare. Beca quickly ran off to go get the pair of them coffee, leaving Chloe alone with her angry step-sister.

"I know you love Beca, I know you care for her deeply but she isn't strong enough for you two to be at it like bunnies!" Aubrey yelled.

"We aren't at it like bunnies. We did it once. We have only ever done it once," Chloe replied firmly. She wouldn't give in to Aubrey; she would not be made to feel guilty for this. "You can be mad at me all you like but I won't be made to feel like I've done something wrong when all I've ever done is love Beca".

Aubrey stared down at the ground; her stomach had plummeted to her shoes. She shouldn't have made assumptions about the couple, not when her step-sibling was smiling like she had been. She was always over-protective when it came to the brunette, even if she acted like an ass to her half the time.

"I'm sorry," the blonde whispered.

Chloe nodded, "apology accepted".

-

Beca's mind flashed with memories of her time with Chloe in the shower. She'd never been close to someone in that way before, she'd given it up to some guy at a school party in her senior year before she'd been diagnosed but it was nothing like with her girlfriend. A small smile rested on her lips as she waited for coffee. This day was perfect so far.

It hit her like a tonne of bricks, the room started to spin as black circles appeared in her vision. The brunette's entire body felt as though it was made of jelly and then all she could hear was screaming as she stared up at the cafe ceiling struggling to breathe. Everything was too loud, too sharp, too bright as she heaved in deep breaths.

"Beca! Beca can you hear me?!" Luke screamed as he towered over her, his hands pressing against her cheeks as he tried for a response. Her lips moved but no sound came out as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she blacked out.


	8. Red Handed

Chloe had always hated hospitals. She didn't know if it was the staff uniforms or the way that everywhere smelt like antiseptic but it unnerved her. She watched through the window as the doctor's spoke to Beca although the brunette looked terribly unresponsive. Guilt filled the ginger's body; this wouldn't have happened if they had of just respected Beca's limitations. Instead they'd pushed the boundaries and now they were here. This was all her fault.

Eventually a tired looking doctor emerged from the small room; his face had weathered badly from innumerable sleepless nights caring for the ill. His face was blank as he approached the trio whose posture immediately straightened as they prepared for the news. Chloe took in a deep breath to try and calm her shaking hands but had little success.

She'd promised Beca she'd be here through better and worse and that was a promise she intended to keep.

"I'm assuming you're Beca Mitchell's family by the concerned looks on your faces. My name is Dr. Eisenhower. The somehow still snarky woman has a case of exhaustion which is too be expected but she's going to be held overnight. My suggestion young sir, lay off the intercourse and self-soothe," the doctor spoke bluntly before tapping his pen on the clipboard before walking off.

"Well he was a useless prick," Aubrey snapped before heading into Beca's room. Luke breathed out before smiling at the ginger who pushed him to the side, earning a small chuckle at the doctor's remark before they joined the step-sisters. Beca lay asleep in the bed, her clothes folded neatly beside the bed while her body was draped in a cotton hospital gown. The clothing and blankets on top of her really emphasised just how skinny the brunette was getting.

The tanner woman walked around the side of the bed and dragged a chair up to it, squeezing her lover's hand affectionately and not letting go.

"I'm right here," she whispered before planting a small kiss on Beca's pale cheek.

-

When Beca awoke in the dark with no clue as to where she was, the feeling of a warm body pressed against hers was both alarming and confusing. As she tried to roll over for a better view she felt the familiar pinch of an IV in her left wrist. She carefully reached up, turning on the bedside lamp that she could see the outline of. Curled beside her on the hospital bed was a slumbering Chloe whose cheeks were stained with the black of mascara tears. As the brunette quickly surveyed the room she noticed Aubrey and Luke cuddled up on a stretcher beside each other.

The boy had been struggling with his sexuality since Kimmy Jin's brother broke up with him. He'd been the perfect gentleman about it though, never wanting to put his problems onto the brunette but she always pushed him to talk. They looked rather cute curled up together; she'd have to tell him that later.

"You're awake," Chloe whispered. Beca turned before nodding silently. "I'm sorry I must've fallen asleep. I was so worried," the ginger yawned. The brunette couldn't help but smile, her girlfriend was so ridiculously adorable when she wasn't even trying.

"Well I'll be okay. No need to panic," the musician replied before giving a weak chuckle. Chloe rolled over before squeezing the woman's hand. The guilt and fear flooded her baby blues as Beca met her glance and tears filled her eyes. "Hey, we're okay, I'm okay," she whispered reassuringly.

"We wouldn't be here if I had of just waited or been gentler," Chloe spoke with a breaking voice. Beca pulled her girlfriend into a tight embrace, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. She could understand Chloe's misplaced guilty but the brunette didn't blame her for what had occurred, they had both wanted each other and Beca was the one who pushed for it.

"Don't cry. I wouldn't change what we did for the world," Beca breathed before kissing her lover's hair.

The next morning when they discharged the brunette the four of them drove back to Barden with tired eyes and sore heads. Luke and Aubrey existed together in glances and silence but skipped off together as soon as they arrived at Chloe's dorm.

-

"So last night," Luke started as he walked with Aubrey. The blonde stared ahead, not quite sure what to say to the man beside her. What had happened last night was completely unexpected but waking up beside him had felt sort of right. Maybe she just needed to get to know him a little bit better. "So about last night..."

"Last night was nice, unexpected but nice. I would like to do it again sometime after a date," the blonde woman ranted. Her heart was racing, something she wasn't quite used to. Aubrey had been so focused on her academic future that she'd ignored the comfort of others for the better part of her life so far. Prior to her mother meeting Dr. Mitchell, Aubrey had believed that they were mostly douchebags anyway.

"A date? Okay. I can do a date. Well, not do but I'll take you on one. How's Wednesday?" Luke asked nervously, tripping over his own words. Aubrey smiled; she didn't know that things of this nature could be so exciting.

"Wednesday will be great. Um, cool. So I'm gonna go check on my step-sister and I'll see you soon," Aubrey replied before leaning in and giving the boy a peck on the cheek before skipping off with excitement as nerves bounced around in her stomach. This was the beginning of something good, she was sure of it.

-

Beca watched as her girlfriend manoeuvred Crash Bandicoot through a treacherous obstacle course while being chased by a rather round rolling boulder. The ginger's excitement for the children's game was refreshing and the brunette wondered just how Aubrey handled the screaming when she was in the room. A frustrated grunt erupted from the other Bella as her animated character was crushed by the boulder.

"Calm the fuck down baby," Beca laughed before sympathetically patting her partner's shoulder.

"They flattened me!" the woman screamed before having her woman's captured by the brunette's. The controller slipped from the tanned woman's grip and fell forgotten to the floor as Beca mounted her, lips fighting for control as hands wandered each other's bodies. This was the opposite of rest, the opposite of doctor's orders but it was everything they needed in that moment and that was all they cared about.

"I love you," Beca breathed between kisses.

"I love you too," Chloe whispered before intensifying their kiss. The ginger licked Beca's bottom lip before slipping her tongue inside her mouth, gently massaging the brunette's tongue with her own. A groan sounded from the musician's throat as Chloe's knee ground against her core. "God your sexy Mitchell," Chloe spoke as they separated and Beca pulled her lover's shirt off.

"Keep it in your pants for god sake!" Aubrey screamed as she opened the door to the sight of the ginger on top of her step-sister. The pair scrambled to find the tanner girls shirt and do up Beca's belt which had somehow come undone. "You're supposed to be on bed rest, bloody horny teenagers!"

"Sorry Aubrey," the couple muttered in unison before returning to their video game.

They'd been caught red handed.


	9. Debilitating

Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've had family issues and started working at a different store so I'm doing 30-40 hours and university at the same time. Once I sort out schedules and stuff the updates will become more regular. I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting.

-

Exhaustion built up over the next few weeks as Beca struggled to keep up with all of her course work. Her professors were incredibly supportive when she began to fall behind although she began to suspect that it had something to do with her father's position in the university. The gravity of the situation began to sink in to the Bella's when Beca had to stop mid-practice or simply chose to watch. The brunette knew she shouldn't be participating but it was the only thing that was keeping her from losing her mind at this point in time.

Chloe tried to maintain a positive outlook, constantly telling the DJ that she would be fine and that she would never be alone in this. It was all the ginger could do to keep herself from falling apart every day. The ginger was so scared that she could barely look at her forever thinning girlfriend without feeling like crying, she had no idea what she would do if for some reason they didn't make it through this. Aubrey attempted to comfort the tanner woman but she was just as scared. At least they were scared together though.

The strain was clear on the couple as they rehearsed; Chloe's eyes vigilant for any sign of weakness or nausea while Beca tried her best to keep up with the others. Small arguments broke out between the pair whenever Chloe fussed too much. They fell into a routine, breakfast, classes, practice, assignments, dinner, showers and then sleep. It rotated smoothly, almost never falling out of place. It seemed to calm Beca to have it in place, to know what was coming when so much was uncertain.

Chloe ran her fingers through Beca's hair before placing a soft kiss on the pale girls shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist. It wasn't until she pulled away that she realized what had happened. Tangled around her fingers was a lock of the brunette's hair. The ginger nervously bit her lip.

"Beca," she whispered, prompting the other woman to turn around.

The musician could hear the nervousness in her lover's voice and turned around, biting her lip with fear. The only sound in the room was that of falling water as they both looked at the threads tangled around the tanned woman's digits. It hit Beca like a tonne of bricks as her attention turned to the white tiled floor where a few more strands must've fallen after she washed her hair.

"Oh," Beca breathed. Panic welled in her chest; this was all feeling too real for her to deal with. The ginger dropped the locks to the ground before wrapping her arms around her girlfriend supportively. Beca's body racked with sobs as she buried her face into her lover's collarbone. They remained there for a long time, feeling each other breathe and exist together. Eventually they finished their shower and wrapped themselves in bathrobes before heading back up to Beca's room. There was very little conversation between them, just intimate touches and meaningful stares.

In the dark of night Beca laid almost as if she was in a coma, unable to explain how she was feeling or how she would deal with what was ahead of her. She'd been here before, facing the dark unknown of the cancerous abyss but this time she wasn't the only one falling in. She kept thinking about the effect of this on Chloe, maybe it'd be better if she just cut the tanned woman loose. She regretted this thought every time she had it but she couldn't help but wonder if Chloe would be better off.

"I can hear the cogs turning in your head," Chloe spoke in the darkness.

Beca chuckled before rolling over and kissing her lover roughly, she could never let go over Chloe no matter how hard she tried. The brunette was fragile and exhausted but she was strong enough for this. Her hair would soon fall out, her strength would fade and soon the only place they would cuddle would be in a hospital bed.

Chloe's hands explored the few remaining curves of Beca's body, grabbing and squeezing as they moved together. It was hard to believe how much the DJ had changed over the last few weeks. They moved slowly together before stopping. Beca laid on top of Chloe in silence, placing small kisses on the ginger's lips every now and then.

"I love you," Beca whispered.

"I love you too," Chloe whispered. "I'm not leaving. I know you're so scared; it was all over your face in the shower. You're still going to be beautiful when you lose your hair and I'll kill anyone who says otherwise," the singer continued. The brunette smiled in the darkness, comforted by the warmth of her loved one beside her.

When they woke up in the morning Beca cycled through her beanie collection, deciding she better get used to wearing the garment all over again. It took a few tries before she finished co-ordinating her outfit and looked at her girlfriend before smiling. She still had about a fortnight before she lost her entire head; it had been unusually quick for her the first time.

They stepped out into the winter cold, heading for the cafe to meet up with Aubrey and Luke who had been acting like two love-drunk teenagers, not that Beca and Chloe were any better. As soon as the couple came into view and Aubrey noticed the beanie her face dropped a little. She knew exactly what it meant and what had transpired since the day before.

"Hey guys!" Luke greeted them with enthusiasm, making up for his girlfriend's lack of it.

"Sorry we're late, it was sort of a rough start this morning," Chloe laughed. Rough start was not an appropriate summation. Beca had thrown up twice this morning before even getting dressed which had been a emotional event all of its own even if she had pretended she was fine to Chloe.

"Oh that's okay we were just talking about the station and stuff," Aubrey recovered.

"That's good. Have you ordered yet?" Chloe asked again. Beca was glad to see her step-sister and her best friend but she just couldn't seem to make conversation. Her body ached and her mind was groggy as she struggled to stay awake. She tried to stay focused on the conversation but it just didn't seem to work.

"No we haven't yet," Luke answered.

"That's good because I'm not even remotely hungry," Beca deadpanned.

Suddenly she could feel everyone's eyes on her, shit did she say that aloud?


	10. Clean

AN: Sorry guys, course load has been hectic and this is the first weekend I've had off in a while so I tried to hammer out as much writing and ideas and uni work as possible. I will try to update once a week but you know how things are. I need to update Nice Day for a White Wedding, but I just need the time.

-

The day had come and Beca sat before some doctor she had never met before with fear coursing through her body. Beside her sat Aubrey, the only other Mitchell that had been declared calm enough to go with her. Chloe had fought for an hour leading up to their departure but Luke had held her back with strong and understanding arms as they had watched the four wheel drive had pulled away from the school.

Now the brunette sat before a man who held an envelope in his hands which would change her future. Suddenly her mind was filled with every regret, everything she should of done differently before she had gotten sick.

"The cancer has spread and I'm afraid we will have to look at surgery," the man spoke with a cold and smooth voice. It was as though he delivered this news on a daily basis. There was no emotion, no humanity in his voice. "Our best course of action is to remove the rest of your reproductive system, a clean cut unlike before. Stupid doctors acting on stupid emotional impulses," he continued before throwing a collection of papers down on the desk before the Mitchell siblings.

"You need to work on your bedside manner because that is not how you tell someone that news. We will be in touch with your supervisor regarding our decision," Aubrey had scolded before picking up the papers and pulling Beca from the room. The brunette was hollow as she walked through the sterile hallways like she had a thousand times before. Aubrey spoke to her but her words were practically muted as the reality of the situation set in, crippling Beca emotionally and psychologically.

"I'm going to be sterile," the brunette whispered aloud as they stood at the mouth of the car park with clouds hanging overhead. The blonde looked at her silently, not pushing her to move or comforting her, just waiting for her to be ready. "I will never have children," the musician reiterated. Aubrey nodded once simply, noticing how Beca's eyes had glassed over. There was no way she could possibly comfort the woman now so instead she pulled her into a tight hug.

The car ride back to campus was silent as Beca prepared herself for the thousands of questions that were no doubt about to be thrown at her. Aubrey respected her right to silence and time to process the reality and allowed her a few moments before announcing that they had finally arrived.

"Just give her some time," Aubrey cautioned the family as she got out first. The blood drained from everybody's faces, the blonde's tone had told them everything they had needed to know about how the visit had gone. When Beca rounded the car with a stack of paper work in her arms it only helped to confirm their gut wrenching suspicions.

"They're going to open me again. Sterile and clean this time," the brunette spoke with the doctor's words. Chloe felt her world collapse around her as she watched the brunette walk away and into their building, next thing she knew her feet were carrying her towards her lover. She didn't know what to say or what else their future could hold but she refused to leave the DJ to deal with this on her own. If she couldn't have kids then Chloe would give them to her, they would do something about it.

"I love you," Chloe spoke as she burst into the room where Beca sat on their bed. This was the bed where they had made so many promises in the dark, so many whispers about the life they would build together and the places where they would go. This was their safe haven and it would continue to be so. This was where Chloe spent endless hours watching her beloved sleep and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. "I love you and I need you to stay with me".

Beca turned to face the ginger whose cheeks were covered in tears, her voice had broken in her last few words and the brunette could do nothing but feel their shared pain. Both of them were so scared of losing something that had only just begun, something they needed to see through. She stood and wrapped her arms around the sobbing tanned girl, taking a few extra moments to appreciate her smell and the way her body conformed to the brunette's. It was an incredible thing, to feel someone mould themselves around you.

"I'm going to fight until my last dying breath to remain here with you and feel your love," the brunette whispered. They spent the rest of their night like that, lying on the bed intertwined. They spoke very little and when they did it was only to profess their love for each other. Fingers and limbs wrapped around each other like they were clinging to the safety of a palm tree in this tsunami of feelings.

When the new day broke the couple held hands as Beca correctly explained to her parents what was going to happen next. Planning began as to when the operation would take place and what doctors would be present. Aubrey had demanded the man from the previous day be kept away from her sibling with a passion that Beca swore she only held for bad mannered people and the Barden Bella's performance practices.

The brunette finished off the semester, her health on the decline and making everything ridiculously difficult but she finished in time and with a reasonably good grade point average. In three days she would depart the campus with her girlfriend and undergo her surgery. With so little time remaining she tried to think of a solid way to spend what could be her last three days but she had no idea. The only thing that she knew for sure was that she was scared to death and the only person she wanted to be with was Chloe.

So that's what she would do.


	11. Bastards and Huskies

The day arrived faster than anyone could believe.

Beca sat on the edge of her hospital bed, pale and weak. Her eyes had become hollows from the uncountable sleepless nights; her body had become a shell as she had dropped the vast majority of her weight. There was almost nothing left of Beca Mitchell as she sat on the edge of her crisp white sheets preparing to say goodbye to Chloe. The ginger had been forbidden from staying the night at the hospital as they insisted that they could care of the brunette in her absence and that she'd require her strength to make it through the next day.

The ginger stepped into the room and panic began to build within the musician's chest. She took her time to look over her girlfriend, taking in every small detail. She noticed the stray hairs, the small flaws of her make-up, the lines which had formed under her eyes from lack of sleep. When the brunette breathed in all she could smell was the Lady Gaga perfume she had bought the Bella for her birthday. She absorbed everything she could from the being before her, allowing herself to be overwhelmed by her presence.

"I can't do this," Beca whispered into the soundlessness.

"Makes two of us," Chloe said as she nervously played with her hands.

"I can't say goodbye," Beca spoke. Her voice broke throughout her sentence and tears welled up within her eyes but they refused to fall. Chloe struggled to hold eye contact as the reality of the situation crashed down on her, like waves on the shore she was washed under. This could be the last time they saw each other. Regardless of how many times Chloe had told the brunette that she'd be fine, there was still a rather large risk in having this surgery. The cancer could have spread, it could be wrapped around anything by now.

"So don't," Chloe whispered before moving forward and kneeling down before Beca. The musician smiled as she did, holding the ginger girl's hands tightly. There was nothing but pain within the pair of them, pain and love. They couldn't let go of this, it was a love that would have to hold them under and drown them before they'd relinquish it. Beca knew it and Chloe knew it.

They held each other as their bodies shook with sobs and promises of what their future would be.

"I'll have lots of little children. They can be our bastards, both in status and in behaviour," Chloe whispered, causing a snort of laughter to erupt from the brunette's lips.

"And we'll have huskies and fish," Beca whispered.

"Of course," the ginger replied. It went on and on like this until Beca's family filtered in. Conversations ran dry and they sat in an uncomfortable silence, the same thoughts plaguing the minds of everyone in the room. The clock ticked overhead, slowly dragging its hands around to 1pm. The doctors and nurses came in, running everyone through what would happen during and after the surgery. The anaesthetist came in and gave her some local anaesthetic to begin to numb the area while she said her goodbyes.

"Don't," Chloe whispered as everyone else stepped back after their turn.

"I won't if you don't," Beca replied as tears ran down her cheeks.

Chloe leant in and kissed her girlfriend, her hands gently cradling the brunette's cheeks as they poured their emotions into a kiss that may well be their last. It was everything that had ever existed between them. It was sex in the shower for their very first time, it was curling up in bed together after her initial diagnosis, it was falling asleep on the bathroom floor in each other's arms. It was absolutely everything beautiful and pure in their worlds.

"Listen to me, okay. If I don't, you stay strong and you move on okay? Don't come after me," Beca spoke as they pulled her bed away. Chloe's face dropped and her heart shattered into a thousand pieces, every light of hope inside her flickered before being blown out. This was Beca's farewell, a hope that Chloe would live a full life with someone other than her. She was selfless and stable in her wording.

The world crashed down around Beca Mitchell's ears as she forced the words from her mouth. She watched as they pulled her away, watched as realization and soul crushing pain crashed down upon her beloved Barden Bella. Slowly she began to fade, feeling dizzy as the anaesthesias started to take hold. She heard the screaming for them to stop as Chloe chased after them. Then suddenly they did. They were halted in the hallways because these nurses believed that whatever Chloe had to say was pretty damn important. The ginger spoke to her in a rushed tone and the only thing that Beca could remember was feeling at peace with the world as she replied and faded into unconsciousness.

Chloe sat anxiously in the waiting room for the entire duration of her lover's surgery, asking a thousand questions whenever an intern updated them with her progress. She chewed her nails and sculled her coffee's as she awaited the final result. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. All the money in the world, all the schools and universities in existence could not adequately prepare her for the emotional rollercoaster she was riding.

"We got all of the cancer," was the only sentence that stuck in her mind as the team of doctors exited the surgical hallways victorious. The relief that rushed through the Mitchell clan would never be matched by any drug or adrenaline rush. Hours passed as they sat crowded into Beca's tiny room, waiting for her to wake up. It was deep in the night when she did; everyone else was asleep besides Chloe who sat patiently beside her girlfriend's bed with her book light on reading Eragon for the thousandth time.

"Beca? Baby. It's okay. You're safe," the ginger whispered as the brunette pried at her mask with deft hands. She was obviously still really heavily sedated but that didn't silence her as she fought with grunts and other unintelligible sounds. "Stop fighting. Relax. Just wait a little longer," the ginger whispered. Their eyes met in the little light available and the panic was clear in Beca. The musician couldn't tell up from down as she tried to form words. The doctors had warned them about how the anaesthesia would have a longer effect on Beca due to her very little weight and the severity of the situation. Chloe rubbed her girlfriend's hand reassuringly in the dark, tracing patterns on the knuckle of her thumb as she tried to calm her before placing a gentle kiss on the outside of her mask which bought a dopey smile to the girl's face.

The next morning the Mitchell's found them; fingers intertwined and faces inches away. It brought a smile to Noah's face as he watched his little girl slumber beside her girlfriend who had definitely filled the role of protector, her arm covering Beca like a shield. They had all questioned Chloe as to what she said to Beca in the hallway but the ginger had not relented, simply stating that she needed to ask again to gain a proper answer.

Beca awoke with confusion as she sat up, breaking away from Chloe's arm. The brunette was a lot more aware now, the chemicals having mostly left her system. She pulled away the mask and stared vacantly at her family, trying to find Chloe but quickly spotted her after the woman groaned as she awoke to the bright lights.

"Beca?" Aubrey asked curiously.

"Did they get it? Am I saved?" the brunette asked quietly.

"It's gone. It's all gone," Aubrey replied.

The musician turned to her beloved who starred in wonder at her girlfriend.

"Yes," was all Beca said.

"Yes. You're sure?" Chloe replied. The brunette nodded again before smiling.

"Yes, of course," she replied as she watched a smile grow over Chloe's face.


	12. Top Secret Situation

The days dragged on as Beca waited to be cleared for hospital released. Her incision site had grown swollen and red shortly after the surgery which caused fear of infection. Regardless of the reason the brunette longed for home and grew angrier every day that she was denied release. The only thing which calmed her down was the patient words of her girlfriend and the promises that she made in the dark.

The pair had received a lot of questions both from the Bella's and the Mitchell clan after their exchange shortly before the operation. The coupled remained tight lipped about the whole ordeal, a response which had caused a variety of results but most ended in a frustrated silence. They weren't ready to talk about it just yet; they hadn't even had time alone to discuss it between themselves. Chloe had a plan but it wouldn't fall into effect until they were out of the hospital and away from heart monitors.

She'd recently discovered if she made Beca excited in the slightest manner that the heart monitor would register it and send the nurses into a flurry of panic.

On the day of the brunette's release there had been excitement and the demand of coffee which Chloe had happily caved in to. They spent the afternoon together unpacking Beca's things and eventually collapsed onto her bed together. They tangled themselves together, suffocating themselves in each other's presence. They hadn't been allowed to share a bed since Beca's surgery and the restriction had taken its toll on both women.

Hours passed and they laid together in silence, absorbing the comfort that came with being embraced by their lover. Eventually they both fell into deep slumbers but they never let go of each other.

The next morning Chloe attended her classes while Beca had coffee with Aubrey. The blonde filled the DJ in on the whole situation with her and Luke. They'd been going on dates together, visiting Beca together and ultimately they were sleeping together; even if Aubrey wouldn't admit it. Beca was glad that her sibling had found someone who made her as happy as she was.

"So are you going to spill the beans on this whole top secret situation you have going on?" Aubrey asked before taking a sip of her coffee and throwing the brunette a judgemental glare. The brunette shook her head before giving her sister a cheeky smile. It was fun to stir up the blonde but Beca wouldn't cave for anyone. This was a conversation her and Chloe had to have together before anything else.

"Give me some time," the musician replied as she stared into the distance. After that the rest of the day became a blur of new mix tracks and text messages from Chloe about her plans for the night. Overall Beca was lacking life, her whole body yearned for sleep and freedom from this exhausted state but she wouldn't allow it. If she slept she wouldn't sleep later that night which would affect Chloe's sleep.

No, she would wait for sleep.

When Chloe arrived later that afternoon Beca's face was planted firmly on her keyboard while music blasting out through the discarded headphones as she slept. The auburn haired beauty smiled sweetly before approaching her lover and kissing her cheek gently.

"Wake up Beca," the red head whispered. Her voice stirred the brunette from her dreams and caused her to immediately wipe her mouth in case of any residual drool. Beca cursed herself internally for giving in to her body's desires. "Are you with me Cadet Mitchell?"

"Yes ma'am," the brunette replied with a sleepy salute before pulling her girlfriend's face down for a kiss. It was short and sweet but filled with love. Through the course of the evening they ate Chinese food and watched Chloe's favourite movies. Despite Beca's lack of love for films, Chloe had brought some in which really got her guessing. Her favourite so far was Shutter Island and Fight Club.

"So Aubrey and Stacie keep asking me about our discussion in the hospital, apparently we're the talk of the town," Beca laughed as she had a mouthful of popcorn. Chloe remained silent, deep in thought as she stared off into space.

"You can back out if you want. I know it was pretty extreme circumstances and really awful for me to put you on the spot like that," the red head said. Her tone was filled with misery and sadness as she uttered the words. Beca took a moment to watch her lover. This was not at all how she wanted this conversation to go.

"Are you backing out? If you are then okay but I'm good. I'm totally cool with my decision," Beca replied as she searched for those beautiful blue eyes. The brunette had thought long and hard about her response to the red heads question but she always reached the same conclusion. It was always going to be a yes; even after everything it was always going to be a yes.

"No! No! I just, I didn't want to pressure you," Chloe replied before biting her lip nervously. "So you're in?"

"100% in, I am definitely in," the brunette replied before pulling her girlfriend onto her for a lengthy, passionate kiss. "I love you Chloe, I mean it".

"I love you too Beca. I'm so glad that you're here with me," the red head replied before lying down and resting the brunette's head on her chest. The film played through but neither of them saw the end as a chorus of snores echoed through the room, their own little symphony. It was the first time in a long time that both of them had slept well.

The next morning Chloe awoke before Beca and in the dim light she watched for the rise and fall of her lover's chest which happened after a few seconds that felt like an eternity. The red head had done this every night since Beca had been admitted to hospital but every time she still felt her heart squeeze in those waiting moments.

"I know you're asleep and you can't hear this but I'm really glad you came back to me," Chloe whispered through the darkness. In her sleep Beca shuffled closer to her lover, clinging tightly to Chloe's waist as she slumbered. When the brunette finally awoke and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes she smiled dopily as she remembered her dream.

"I dreamt about our wedding," Beca laughed.

"Well you already said yes," Chloe laughed before giving her a quick peck.

"And I always will".


	13. Running Scared

As weeks passed they kept their decision to get married a secret and eventually their friends started to forget and leave them alone. That was everyone except Aubrey who still asked them every single day if they had decided to tell her and every single day she was disappointed that her persistence hadn't paid off.

Beca quickly caught up in her course work and resumed regular classes again once she had rebuilt some of her strength. The brunette had even returned to her running but Chloe always accompanied her in class of a moment of weakness took over. It wasn't much but it made the red head feel better about the whole situation. Beca was her responsibility now even if the DJ wouldn't see it that way; she would take care of her.

"Are you okay?" Beca called as Chloe stopped mid run, a sharp pain stabbing at her back. The brunette's concern instantly went to the brunette's back as she helped her to straighten up before leading her to a seat. The auburn haired girl grimaced as she sat down, the pain returning once more.

"It's just a bit cold is all, or I bent the wrong way. Keep running, I'll catch up," she replied but Beca didn't move. She'd seen her partner wince from the cold before but this was something new. The brunette had spent most of her time in hospital learning about her lover's condition and the effects it can have on the human body and this wasn't a little bit of pain, it was written all over Chloe's face that something bigger was going on.

"I think we should take you to hospital," Beca said as she flipped out her phone from her pocket.

"I think we should keep walking. It'll be okay," the Bella replied as she straightened up and started walking. They didn't run again, instead they walked together and discussed their future and how they would tell people. It wasn't exactly something they could keep a secret for a long time considering how badly Chloe wanted to buy Beca a ring.

Once back at the dorm they gathered their things before showering together. It wasn't until Chloe stripped off that Beca's panic button went off. As the red head turned her back on the brunette a large black and purple bruise came into view at the base of her spine. The mark spread up from the base of her spine and flowered across the left hand side until it reached her ribs. Beca struggled to utter a word as she felt her body flood with panic and concern for her girlfriend.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked with a slight frown as she caught Beca's expression.

"What happened to your back?" the musician asked, her voice cracking with fear mid sentence. Chloe had scoliosis and this wasn't something that she could shrug off as an accident or a slight fall because it could be a lot worse than that.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"There's a massive fucking bruise all over you. Did you fall?" the brunette panicked.

"I slipped down some stairs a few weeks ago at the hospital but I didn't think it was anything. It just hurt a little bit," the Bella replied as she tried to snake a view of her injury without any success. Beca gently ghosted her fingertips over the wound before pulling Chloe in and kissing her gently.

"You need to take care of yourself okay? I love you but I can't protect you if I don't know that there's something wrong," Beca reinforced as she looked over her lover one last time, a part of her was even convinced she could trace the outline of a spinal screw.

"Okay babe," Chloe replied earning her a laugh from Chloe.

"Babe? Really?" Beca laughed.

"I can't use baby, bub, baby girl or boo because it doesn't fit so yes, babe," Chloe replied before planting a delicate kiss on Beca's lips. They dried off together, avoiding the temptation of the shower considering there was half the Bella's in the room with them. As they walked up to Beca's room draped in shower robes they walked passed Jesse who shot Beca nervous glance before putting his head down and rushing off quickly. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, he's just really rude and constantly hit on me at the radio station," the brunette answered as she unlocked her door. They got ready for the day before saying their goodbyes and dispersing for classes. Beca tried really hard to focus and pay attention to her classes but her mind kept drifting back to Chloe. It wasn't in the lovely kind of drifting but more the concerned type. Whenever she closed her eyes the gruesome bruise marking her precious angel flashed behind her eyes.

Every second fuelled her fire to leave and go check on Chloe but the rational side of her denied the whole situation. School had to come first right now given her extensive absence and if Chloe was injured or in any real danger someone would notify her straight away. Half the campus practically knew they were dating anyway. The day passed at snail's pace until practice with the Barden Bella's arrived and the brunette was the first to arrive and anxiously await her girlfriend's arrival. Anxiety built within the brunette as she waited but was instantly relieved when she spotted Chloe's bright smile as she walked in with Fat Amy and Stacie.

Beca ran up and kissed Chloe passionately, being mindful to wrap her arms around the neck and not the waist. Someone wolf whistled in the background as they kissed until Chloe broke away from her partner and gave her a confused smile.

"Miss me much?" Chloe asked with a laugh. Beca nodded quickly before pulling her into a tight hug.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you all day actually. I kept worrying about you and your back and I didn't want to bother you with texts," the brunette replied before letting her partner go.

"You're never going to bother me by asking how I am and you need to stop worrying because I'm fine. I'm just a little bit tender okay?" Chloe replied before tapping gently on Beca's nose.

"Promise?" Beca replied.  
"Promise!"


End file.
